Following the meeting, Đurić stressed that Serbia counts on the strong support of its Greek friends on its path to EU membership, and expressed his gratitude to Greece for its assistance in Serbia’s European integration process, as well as for the exceptional economic relations between the two countries, stating that trade in goods over the previous 12 months exceeded €2 billion.
The head of Serbian diplomacy also thanked Greece for its principled position in support of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia and informed his interlocutor about the position of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija.
The Minister emphasised that Serbia is committed to preserving peace and stability and resolving problems through dialogue, while at the same time persisting in protecting its national interests, the rights of the Serbian people and the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Serbia attaches particular importance to its friendship with Greece and remains committed to further developing overall relations for the benefit of the two states and peoples, the head of Serbian diplomacy underlined.
He also pointed to the importance of further facilitating the flow of people, goods and capital between the two countries, as well as improving mobility and speeding up border crossings, especially during the summer months, emphasising that there is strong political will in both Belgrade and Athens to further connect the two states.
Gerapetritis said that his country is a strong advocate of the European perspective of the Western Balkans based on the principle of merit, while respecting the European Union acquis, international law and good neighbourly relations.
The head of Greek diplomacy reiterated that Greek foreign policy is based on international law and that the country’s position on the status of the so-called Kosovo remains unchanged, with consistent support for the dialogue between Belgrade and Priština, which is being conducted with the mediation of the European Union.